Device for entraining and cutting a moving threadline



July l, 1.969 R H- SPEAKMAN 3,452,626

DEVICE FOR ENTRAINING AND CUT-TING A MOVING THREADLINE Filed July 22.196e sheet of 2 July 1969 R. H. sPr-:AKMAN DEVICE FOR ENTRAINING ANDCUTTING A MOVINGv THREADLINE Filed July 22, 1966 Sheet of2 United StatesPatent O U.S. Cl. 83-98 6 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A device forentraining and cutting a threadline comprises a tube having alongitudinal slot in the wall thereof and uid jet means associated withthe slot for creating a stream of fluid which draws the threadlinethrough the slot when the device is brought into proximity with thethreadline. The threadline is cut as it is drawn into the slot by ablade disposed so as to be contacted by the threadline, and thereafterthe threadline passes into a disposal pipe which is in communicationwith one end of the tube.

The present invention relates to the entrainment of a threadline awayfrom the position where it is being processed to a waste disposalsystem.

According to the present invention we provide a filament or yarnentrainment device so designed and constructed that, when proximated toa continuous filament or yarn in lengthwise motion, a portion of thesaid filament or yarn becomes substantially fully enclosed within acavity communicating with a disposal pipe the said filament or yarnwithin the said cavity remaining substantially linearly disposed and thesaid filament or yarn being, or by alteration of the attitude of thesaid entrainment device in a predetermined direction subsequentlybecoming, acted upon by at least one stream of fluid in such a manner asto apply to the said filament or yarn a predetermined force in thedirection of motion of the said tilament or yarn, the said filament oryarn being simultaneously or subsequently severed Iand the said filamentor yaru being entrained and directed down the said disposal pipecommunicating with the said cavity.

According to a further aspect of our invention we provide a filament oryarn entrainment device consisting of a tube, the one end communicatingwith a disposal pipe for waste filament or yarn and the other end beingfree, a slot of substantially uniform width extending from the free endand extending substantially the whole length of said tube and beingdisposed in a substantially parallel manner to the axis of the tube,said slot being of width small in comparison with the inner perimeter ofthe said tube, the said tube bearing a plurality of aperturescommunicating with a supply of fluid at greater than atmosphericpressure, said apertures being of such coniiguration and dispositionthat the uid supplied to the said apertures produces jets which aredirected away from the free end of the tube and the jets emanating fromthe said apertures adjacent to the slot being furthermore directedinwards and away from the slot.

By the term proximated to a continuous filament or yarn we mean that thedevice is brought up to the lilaments or yarn and made to enclose itwithout substantially deliecting the filament lor yarn from the pathwhich it is following until immediately before the severing of thefilaments or yarn takes place.

The action may, for example, be as follows: The entrainment device isheld by hand with the side in which the slot is situated being towardsthe threadline. The

3,452,626 Patented July l, 1969 entrainment device is moved towards thethreadline (that is the filament or yarn) being maintained substantiallyparallel to it. At the achievement of a predetermined degree ofproximity, sufficient component of force is exerted on the threadline bythe flow of air into the slot induced by the jets of gaseous iluidwithin the slot to exert a force on the threadline drawing it into theslot. As the threadline is drawn towards the slot successive positionsin the induced air-flow are reached of progressively higher linearvelocity, thus accelerating the threadline. The result is that onattaining the predetermined degree of proximity the threadline issuddenly moved so as to be enclosed completely within the cavity. At thesame time the threadline becomes subjected to the flow of air inducedalong the tube constituting the cavity and in the direction of thedisposal pipe. At this stage the still entire threadline will be runningfreely through the cavity and slightly diverted from its normal path. Assoon as this stage is reached, cutting of the threadline can be effectedwithout release of tension upstream of the entrainment device. Normallythis will be effected by a cutter associated Iwith the entrainmentdevice in such manner that it comes into effect as soon as thethreadline has become enclosed within the cavity. Such a cutter can, forexample, consist of a pair of sharpened blades crossed and in contact,similar to a pair of scissors fixed in the open position, and located atthe bottom end of the slot, that is the end closer to the disposal pipe.

Since it is required to sever the threadline at a single point along itslength, it is desirable that the threadline should be offered to thecutting effect very rapidly so that the time during which the cutter andthreadline are in suicient contact to cause damage to the threadline butnot to sever it, is reduced to a minimum. This requirement can morecompletely be fulfilled if a check action is provided which impedes theprogress of the threadline towards the cutter until a predeterminedforce in the direction of transverse motion of the threadline issubstantially in operation, the check action then being overcome =by theforce urging the threadline onto the cutter or by some separate actionand a rapid approach of the threadline to the cutter being therebycaused.

The requirement of a high speed of approach of the threadline to thecutter is also facilitated by a high velocity of the air stream throughthe slot and the elimination of instability or other considerationswhich would tend to produce any air flow through or from the slot in anoutwards direction. This can be facilitated by known methods such asstreamlining.

An alternative method of operation of the entrainment device is to moveit towards the threadline with the axis of the cavity in the same planeas the threadline but not parallel to it, the end of the slot moredistant from the disposal pipe being closer to the threadline than theremainder of the slot. The entrainment device may then be brought into aposition where a portion of the threadline becomes substantially fullyenclosed within the cavity, but not within a sufficient length of thecavity for a Sullicient length of the threadline to be acted upon by theinduced air-flow for the threadline to be diverted at all orsignificantly from its normal path. The attitude of the entrainmentdevice may then be alterned so that the axis of the cavity becomessubstantially parallel to the normal path of the threadline. Thismaneuver is carried out by using as a pivot for the alteration ofattitude of the entrainment device a point within the part of the cavityalready enclosing the threadline, In this method of operation thecutting of the threadline is arranged to take place approximately as theaxis of the cavity becomes parallel to the threadline. The sameconsiderations in respect of speed of cutting also hold in this method.

The induced velocities of air in the vicinity of the slot, through theslot and Within the cavity result from the direction, velocity, bore andnumber of the various jets of fiuid in known manner, taking into accountthe density of the fluid. Following measurement of the tension existingin the threadline on which the device is required to be used,calculation followed possibly by a few trials will result in the desiredeffect, which is that the force acting on the threadline after cutting,and replacing that existing in the threadline before cutting, should beof a predetermined value, thus maintaining the required conditionsupstream of the entrainment device.

The cavity should be such as will conveniently receive the filament oryarn without on the one hand being so narrow that the filament or yarnwhen within it is restricted in its motion and onfthe other hand so widethat an excessive volume of air is required to produce the requiredentrainment force. The cavity should be of sufficient length in relationto the diameter or effective diameter of the filament or yarn, and inrelation to the linear flow-rate of the fluid within the cavity so thatthe required force is exerted along the length of the filament or yarn.We have found that the disposal pipe may `be substantially linearlydisposed with respect to the cavity or may be at an angle to it. Thedisposal pipe will normally communicate with a container for the wastefilament or yarn.

The jets of fluid referred to in the further aspect of our invention,should be at an angle appreciably less than 90 to the long axis of thecavity. The jets of fiuid should preferably be at an angle less than 45to the long axis, and may be substantially or actually in the directionof the axis of the cavity, so as to facilitate the generation of a fiuidflow along the length of the cavity.

By the term directed inwards and away from the slot we mean that thejets of fluid should not be directed through the slot away from thecavity.

The severing of the filament or yarn is preferably effected by means ofa severing device associated with the disposal device and operating asthe entrainment device is proximated to the lament or yarn. This may beof any convenient form. It may, for example, take the form of a fixedsharpened member or pair of sharpened members so designed and disposedas to catch and sever the filament or yarn immediately after it isentrained. In such a severing device, the force required to effect thesevering is supplied by the wind-up mechanism and the entrainment actionserves only to direct the filament or threadline to the positioneffective for severing.

An advantage of our invention is that by the use of it an operationinvolving the linear movement of a filament or yarn, for example from amelt-spinning spinneret to a wind-up device, may be interrupted and theyarn entrained to waste without reduction of the tension operative inthe normal process below an acceptable level. This effect is produced inthe use of our invention in view of the fact that an appreciable lengthof the filament or yarn is operated on by the flow of fluid generatedWithin the cavity of the device before the filament or yarn is severed.The level of tension which is acceptable, can easily be determined byobserving continuously the tension, for which purpose there are methodsknown, varying the tension until some criterion, is observed and notingthe tension then pertaining. One such criterion is the formation ofwraps on a feed roll, which occurs as the tension falls below a certainlevel controlled by coefficient of friction and feed-roll diameter.

The fiuid may suitably be air in view of its cheapness, although anyfluid which does not have an adverse effect on the filament or yarn maybe used. Examples of other suitable uids are water and steam; the lattermay be dry or contain droplets of Water.

In order that our invention may be the more fully understood, Wedescribe hereinafter, by way of example, the form and use of anentrainment device according to our invention with particular referenceto FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 4.

FIGURE 1 shows an isometric View of an entrainment device.

FIGURE 2 shows a cross-section of the entrainment device of FIGURE lthrough the plane indicated at 2 2.

FIGURE 3 shows a side View of the entrainment device of FIGURE 1 fromthe side wherein a slot is formed and FIGURE 4 shows the entrainmentdevice in proximity to a filament.

In FIGURES 2 and 3, the slot is exaggerated in order to allow theindication by means of arrows of the direction of air jets.

Referring to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, .a tube 5 of 4 mm. internal diameter isfree at one end 6 and communicates at the other end with a flexiblerubber pipe 7. A jacket 8 surrounds the tube 5 and extends from the freeend 6 to a length of 13 cm. The jacket 8 is sealed except for an airentrance pipe 9 piercing the exterior wall of the jacket 8, and 32circular apertures 14 of 0.5 mm. diameter. The apertures piercing thetube 5 are located in two rows of 16, equidistantly disposed in eachrow, a row being disposed along each edge of the slot 10 throughout itslength.

Each aperture 14 is so oriented that the air jet from it is directedaway from the free end of the tube 5 and makes an angle of 10 with theplane passing through the centre line of the slot 10 and 20 with theaxis of the tube 5. The slot 10 is formed in the tube 5 and jacket 8extending for a distance of 13 cm. from the free end 6 of the tube 5.The width of the slot is 1.5 ymm.

In operation, an air-supply at a pressure of about 6 atmospheres is fedto the pipe 9. The resultant jets of air through the various aperturesresults in a flow of air throughout the cross-section of the tube 5 inthe direction from the free end 6 of the tube 5 towards the junction ofthe tube 5 with the fiexible rubber pipe 7. In order to effect theentrainment of the filament or yarn, the entrainment device is movedtowards the filament or yarn 11 as shown in FIGURE 4 until a portion ofthe filament or yarn 11 is enclosed in a portion of the cavity formed bythe tube 5 and in altering the attitude of the entrainment device in thedirection of coincidence of the axis of the tube 5 with the filament oryarn 11, the latter is suddenly dragged into the slot 10 yby the flow ofair passing through the slot 10, whereupon sufficient tension is exertedon the filament or yarn 11 by the filament or yarn wind-up mechanism tocause severing of the filament or yarn 11 by the knives 12, 13. At thesame time the pull exerted on the filament or yarn by the entrainmentdevice replaces that applied by the wind-up mechanism, so that thetension of the filament or yarn 11 does not at any stage in the actionfall below a predetermined, acceptable level.

What is claimed is:

.1. A filament or yarn entrainment device consisting of a tube, the oneend communicating with a disposal pipe for waste filament or yarn andthe other end being free, a slot of substantially uniform width formedin the wall of said tube extending from the free end substantially thewhole length of said tube and being disposed in a substantially parallelmanner to the axis of the tube, said slot being of width substantiallyless than the inner perimeter of the said tube, the said tube bearing atleast one aperture communicating with a supply of fluid at greater than.atmospheric pressure, said aperture being disposed adjacent to saidslot and being so adapted and arranged that the fluid supplied to thesaid aperture produces streams of fiuid which are directed away from thefree end of the tube, the jets emanating from the said aparture adjacentto the slot being furthermore directed inwards and away from the slot,there being attached to said device near the end of said slotcommunicating with the disposal pipe a cutting device so adapted andarranged that severing is effected of a yarn v5 or filament which passesthrough the said slot in the said tube.

2. A filament or yarn entrainment device according to claim 1 whereinthere is a yarn disposal pipe associated with the tube whereby the yarnor filament after severing is diverted to a waste container.

3. A threadline entrainment device comprising means defining anelongated cavity open to the threadline through a slot extendinglongitudinally of said cavity; fluid jet means associated with saidcavity and slot for suddenly moving the threadline through said slot soas to be fully enclosed by said cavity when said device is brought intoproximity with the threadline and for simultaneously applying to theenclosed threadline a predetermined force in the direction of lengthwisemotion of the threadline; means for severing the threadlinesubstantially simultaneously with the movement of the threadline intosaid slot, said means including cutting device attached to saidentrainment device in a location to be contacted by the threadline asthe latter passes into said slot; and a disposal pipe communicating withsaid cavity for receiving the threadline after the latter has beensevered.

4. A filament or yarn entrainment device according to claim 3 whereinthere is further provided a check action preventing contact of thefilament or yarn with the cutter until a predetermined force urging thethreadline onto the cutter is attained.

5. A filament or yarn entrainment device according to claim 3 whereinthe stream of fluid is directed at an angle of less than 90 to the longaxis of the cavity or tube.

6. A filament or yarn entrainment device according to claim 3 whereinthe stream of Huid is directed at an angle of less than 45 to the longaxis of the cavity or tube.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,661,588 12/1953 Griset et al57-34.5 X 2,667,964 2/1954 Miller 57-34.5 X 2,681,729 6/1954 Griset57-34.5 X 2,704,430 3/ 1955 Harris 57-34.5 X 2,955,409 10/1960 Speakman5734.5 3,241,234 3/1966 Kiefer et al. 30-133 3,285,114 11/1966 Johnson83-40'2 FOREIGN PATENTS 68,526 8/1951 Netherlands.

WILLIAM S. LAWSON, Primary Examiner.

U.S. C1.X.R.

